Decorative panels



g- 1960 G. c. HILLENBRAND 2,947,059

DECORATIVE PANELS Filed Feb. 11, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 {z IZZENTO @nhffiuw erro/euey United States Patent 7 2,941,059 'DECURATIVEPANELS George C. Hillenbrand, Batesville," 'ImL, assignor to 'The Batesville Casket Cm, ind, Batesville, 'Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed Feb. 11, :1957, Ser. No. 639,369

5 Claims. .(Cl. 27*19) This invention relates to an inexpensive ,rne'ans oi achieving the appearance oi genuine upholstering in the Figure .6 is a plan view .of a casket interior unit of modified design.

Figure 7. is a plan view .ofa contour strip of modified design. The diiference between the contouring as closed inFigures 1 and2 andin Figures 6 and 7 is that in so ice.

thejlatter two figures every other contouring element has covering material of decorative panels. The invention is disclosed in relation to the center panel of, aninteiior unit of a burial casket, but it will be annaremrwm file disclosure that the invention has utility in other fields.

i The casket "interior units .to which reference is made are disposed in-thecasket top or in one of the top sections of the casket if the casket is ,of the split-top type. .In either case, the purpose of the interior unit "is entirely aesthetic. 1

been removed, thereby providing a different visual eifect. Figures .8. 9 and .10 are all plan views which are similar toFigure .6 .except that the exact contouring is varied in each of said figures. Figure 11 is a plan view of .a modification of the invention showinga base strip. I V

Figure v12 is a plan yiewof .a profilinglstrip for usein conjunction with the base strip .of Figure 11. Figure 13 ,is .a fragmentary perspective view showing thestrip elements of Figures 11 and .12 assembled.

Figure 14 is .a transverse cross sectional view ,of the assemblycf Figure 13. V .T he interior unit .of Figure 1 comprises a center panel 1,, .frame members .2 and .staplesor stitches 3 which secure together the center panel and frame members .as dis-.

' closed in Figure 5. The ,frame members and the .center Pin the past it has been conventional to upholster the interiors of casket tops with genuine *upholster'ingmate: rials by genuine upholster'ing methods. Obviously this procedure is time consuming, expensive and useless from anypract-icalpoint of'view. "Hence, ithasbcen suggested that interior units fabricated frominexpensive sheetmate' rial such as paperboard covered with lining material, be constructed "for insertion in the casket tops. One such unit is disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,664,615,

center panel which-may be outlined'bygframing members,

and the present invention is directed specifically to means for making the centerpanel, and panels oi a similar nature, more aesthetically pleasing without commensurate increment of cost.

' More particularly, the center panel is constituted by a backing of sheet material covered with facingcloth which is configurated to simulate the appearance of ,upholstery, but without the necessity for actual upholstery.

The invention involves the use of what may .be termed a contour or profiling strip which is fabricated from paperboard or other inexpensive sheet material and which has-a plurality of-elements projecting from thepla-ne of the strip to impart contour or configuration to a ,fabric covering. The invention will be "better understood in relation to'the description of the accompanying'drawings in which.

Figure l is a plan view of the face of an interior unit for a casket top with a portion of the unit broken away to disclose the underlying structure. I

Figure 2 is a contour strip as it is stamped or punched from pasteboard.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view which corresponds to Figure 3 except that the contour strip is bent to provide the desired relief.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1.

panel :are each covered with .fabric comprising a layer of hacking .clothgS and a layer of facing cloth 6 which is affixed within .the joints between the framelmembers and the ,frame members and the center panel. The frame members are also provided with locking tabs 7 bymeans of which the assembled interior units are afiixed within the tops of the caskets, as disclosed in my .hereinabove identified pending patent applications. v

The aesthetic configuration of the ,facing fabric :of the center panel is achieved by drawing the backing cloth and facing .fabric tightly ov.er protrusions "which project :from

the center panel. :If .these'protrusions are aligned on opposite sides of the casket, the surface ofthe center panel presentsa ribbed configuration, as disclosed in ;Fig-w ures 1, .6, 8 and 9 .of thedrawings. .As disclosed inFigure 10 of the drawings, the fabric is stretched over protrusions on adjacent rather than opposite sides whereby the configuration :of diagonal ribs .is imparted 'to the center panel-of the casket interior unit. a

More specifically as disclosed in Fi res .2, 3, .4 and 7 the contouring .or profiling elements are constitutediby paperboard strips indicated generally at 8. ,Each strip includes. a lineal base portion -9 which ,is ,an 'elongated band of paperboard'material. This band or strip hasfa plurality of ta'bs,.indicatcd generally ,at 10, extending from one of .the'side edges thereof. Eachtab includes an outer end fiapll andaprofiling portion 12 Which'is' intermedig ate the base strip 9 and the flap. The profiling element as shown is defined from the base strip by a scorejline 13 and from the flap 11 by ascore line 14. In addition, there is a'score line 15 which is intermediate score lines 13 and 14. The two side edgesof the'profiling element are angulated outwardly'towardpeaks Id-16 which are at the opposite ends of score line '15. The contour strips are secured'to-the backing panel 1 adjacent to an edge thereof by means such as staples 17 (see Figure 1) which pierce the base portion 9. In the decorative panel of the type shown in Figure 1 all profiling elements of the strip are adapted to beset up by folding on the score lines 13, 14 and 15 to raise the tabs as illustrated in Figure 4. In the raised condition the outer end flap 11 of each tab is secured by adhesive, staples or other means to the backing panel. In the instance shown in Figure 5, two profiling strips are employed, these strips being aligned with one another along opposite side edges of the backing panel. The fabric covering which may include backing cloth 5 and facing fabric 6 is secured along one of the side edges and then it is drawn tightly across the panel and is secured to the Opposite side edge. In this way it is drawn over the protrusions which the contour strips provide' to follow the configurations of the aligned tabs at opposite sides of the panel. As disclosed, the tops of the profiling tabs are flat. The facing cloth, however, as-

sumes a more rounded appearance so that a plurality of soft rolls are provided.- In applying the backing clothit may be seeuredby stapling or stitching to the base portionsof the profiling strips.

The contour strip of Figure 2 may be employed to prothree additional decorative effects; for example, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, every other profiling tab has been torn or cut from the basic strip so that the rolls or flutes are spaced from one another. It will be apparent that many other types of decorative effects can t be achieved; In Figure 8 the profiling stripsare attached to the opposite ends of the backing panel so that the rolls or flutes extend lengthwise of the interior'unit. In Figure :9 the profiling tabs are employed in groups of three adjacent to the opposite ends of the interior unit with the rolls or flutes extending crosswise of the unit. In Figure 10 four profiling strips are employed two at the sides and two at the ends of the panel and then the decorative facing material is drawn over the strips diagonally across the corners. In all of these various decorative forms the same contour strip of Figure 2 is employed. It will be obvious, however, that by changing the shapes of the profiling tab portions 10 other decorative effects can be achieved. For example, the tabs may be made wider, the sides may be straight instead of angulated as shown, the sides may be rounded, and they may be configurated in other ways.

' -A modification of the invention is shown in Figures 11 through 14 in which the base strip is formed as a unit separate and apart from the profiling elements. In this case, a base strip 18 and a profiling strip 19 may be employed both of which may be made from paperboard material. The base strip 18 is configurated by means of dies to provide a plurality of tabs or flaps 20 which are substantially triangular in shape and which are defined from the strip material by a base score line 21. The tab or fiap is slotted as at 22 so that when the tab is turned up at right angles to the strip on the score line 21 a vertical slot is provided to receive profiling strip 19. At spaced intervals along the lower edge of profiling strip 19 there are slots 23 which engage over the portion of the tab belowthe slot 22 to interlock the two strips. The upper exposed edge 24 of the profiling strip inthe instance shown is ,configurated to provide a wavy appearance to the facing cloth. which is drawn over it as previously described. The exposed edge may, however, be configurated in order to provide different decorative effects as will be obvious to those skilled in the art. The profiling or contouring strip of Figures 11 through 14 is afiixed to the opposite edges of the backing panel similar to the modification of Figure 2 by means of staples, stitching or the like.

The decorative panels of the invention have the advantage that they impart to the facing cloth an upholstered appearance of a type which has been achieved heretofore only by skilled technicians, requiring many hours to complete each job. It is also possible by'using the profiling V f 2,947,os9 g elements of this invention to achieve decorative effects heretofore impossible by regular upholstering techniques. The profiling strip of Figure 2 for example gives a precise type of fluting which few, if any, of the skilled upholsters formerly employed could achieve with genuine upholstering methods. In addition to being attractive, the decorative panels are exceedingly light in weight, they cannot sag and they do, ofcourse, cost only a fraction of decorative panels fabricated in the past by skilled upholsterers.

Having described my invention, I claim:

. .1. A decorative panel comprising a backing sheet, at least two profiling strips, each profiling strip having a base portion secured to the backing sheet, a plurality of profiling tabs extending outwardly from the base portion to present a profile. in a plane at right angles to the base portion, the respective strips being disposed at the opposite side edges of the backing sheet with the profiling tabs thereof aligned crosswise thereof, and a facing material drawn tightly over the profiling tabs of the two strips and secured to the backing sheet between the individual profiling tabs along the opposite side edges of said backing sheet, whereby the configurations of the profiling strips are imparted to the decorative facing material.

2. A decorative panelcomprising a backing sheet, two contouring strips, each strip having a base portion secured to the back sheet and a plurality of profile elements extending outwardly from the base portion in a plane at right angles to the base portion, the respective strips being disposed at the edges of the backing sheet, and a facing material drawn tightly over the profile elements of the two strips and secured to the backing sheet between indi vidual profile elements of the two strips whereby the configurations of the profile elements are imparted to the decorative facing material.

3. A decorative panel as set forth in claim 2 in which the side edges of each one of the profile elements are angulated outwardly such that they are narrower adjacent to said baseportion than at the outer ends thereof.

4. A decorative panel as set forth in claim 2 in which the profile elements are integral parts of said base portion but defined from said base portion by score lines to permit selective removal of said elements from the base portion by tearing along said score lines.

5. A decorative panel comprising a sheet of backing material, two identical sets of profiling tabs extending outwardly from said sheet in spaced relation with the profiling tabs of one set being aligned across the sheet with the profiling tabs of the other set, and a facing material drawn tightly over the profiling tabs of the two sets and secured to the sheet of backing material between individual profiling tabs of the sets and outwardly of the respective sets, whereby the configurations of the profiling tabs are imparted to the facing material between said sets.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Kregel June 24, 1890 

